Cardboard-enameling machine.



B. G. HAWKES. 01111111301111) ENAMELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4.1909. 997,672. Patented July 11,1911.

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B. G. HAWKES. CARDBOARD ENAMELING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 4.1909.

997,672. Patefited July 11,1911.

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BENJAMIN C. I-IAWKES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CARDBOARD-ENAMELING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 4, 1909.

Patented July 11, 1911.

Serial No. 493,896.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN C. HAWKES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cardboard-EnamelingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in card board enameling machines,and in the particular embodiment shown, has especial reference tomachines for enameling separate sheets of post-cards.

In the enameling, varnishing, or finishing of post-cards after they areprinted, it is of great importance that the finishing material, orenamel as I shall generally term it, shall be applied uniformly andsmoothly all over the pictorial surface thereof, but shall not beapplied to any material portion of the back or address side of the card.This for the reason, among others, that a. finishing material or enamelwhich will adequately fix the colors or ink upon the pictorial surfaceof the card against blurring in handling, and protect the surface fromsoiling due to the moisture of the hands, and which will otherwisesatisfy the demands of the trade, is inherently of a character whichwill not afford a good writing surface, and if applied in whole or inpart to the address side of the card, will seriously interfere with theink receptive character of the surface and so depreciate the marketvalue of the card. Further the cost of enameling is minimized by coatingthe one side only, as the pictorial surface is usually less absorbentthan the address side.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a machine providing forthe satisfactory enameling or glazing of one surface of each sheetpassed theretl1rough,without the imposition of the enamel or otherfinishing material upon the other surface, and which uniformly andevenly distributes the finishing material to the pictorial side of thesheet and, if desired, delivers the sheet for further treatment in suchposition that the enameled side is not marred before drying.

In the drawings: Figure l is a central vertical section, takenlongitudinally through a machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is aplan view of the same part; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of some of theparts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. f is a vertical section on line 4-4- of Fig.3; and, Fig. 5 is an elevation of a portion of the machine, showing thegearing arrangement.

In general, I contemplate the provision of a machine involving a tablefor the support of the sheets of cardboard to be enameled, such as forexample the large uncut sheets of postcards, a source of enamel supply,a train of enamel-carrying rolls, transferring enamel upon theirsurfaces from the source of supply to a delivery roll locatedappropriately to receive the sheets from the table, and a guidingpressure roll, preferably of small diameter, arranged in constantlynon-contacting relation to the enamel-delivery roll for the passage ofthe card board sheet through the space therebetween, so that the enamelis applied to one surface only of the card. Further, the machinepreferably has a plurality of such pressure rolls disposed to direct thesheet in transit therethrough out of its initial path for delivery to asuitable carrier in reverse position, with its enameled side upward.

In the embodiment of my invention shown, 10 indicates a work table atone end supported upon a frame comprising two vertical side standards 11and 11 which also afford bearing and support to the several operat ingparts. At a suitable level below the forward end of the table 10, Iprovide an enamel bath or source of enamel supply preferably in the formof a shallow pan 12, provided with a splash wall 13, along its forwardside. Between the enamel bath and the table level, I arrange a train ofenamelcarrying rolls, made of relatively hard rubber or the like,disposed with the lower or primary roll dipping into the enamel withinthe enamel bath 12 and with the upper or delivery roll having its topedge substantially in line with the surface of the table. In theconstruction illustrated, 14: indicates in general such a train ofrolls, here shown as two in number, 14 being the lower or pri mary rolland 14* indicating the upper or delivery roll. Obviously, the primaryroll, dipping into the liquid, will deliver a part thereof to thesucceeding roll of the series through surface contact therewith, and therolls will be arranged, as to number and adjustment,to produce upon thedelivery roll a proper film of the enameling material evenly distributedover its surface. For varying the intimacy of contact between the rolls,thereby to regulate to a degree the quantity of material which one rollwill deliver to the next, any suitable variable tension means may beemployed, and in the specific construction shown a well knownarrangement is illustrated, involving sliding bearing blocks 16, in eachof the standards 11 and 11, to carry the shaft for the upper roll 14",each such slide hearing at its lower end upon a s )rin 17 and beinverticall ad'ustable against the spring tension by. a cam 18 which bearson one side against the slide 16, and at its other side against anadjusting screw 19 in the top of the standard. The two cams 18 aremounted for synchronous movement upon a cross shaft 20, rotatable by ahand wheel 21. Any other suitable adjusting construction may obviouslybe employed, however.

The shafts l5 and 15" for the two enamel rolls may be geared together asby gears 22, 23, and a suitable pulley 24 is provided upon the shaft 15for driving the enamel carrying train.

Above the delivery roll 14, I arrange a pressure roll 25, preferably apolished metal roll of small diameter and mounted for ad justmentrelative to the roll 14: but preferably for movement therewith in itsadjusted relation. To this end the shaft 15 of the roll 25 is mounted inbrackets 26, each having therein a slot 27 engaged by a set screw 28secured in the slide block 16, which has therein an aperture 16 ofsufficient size to permit necessary play of the shaft 25 for desiredadjustment of the roll 25. The roll 25 is normally adjusted to leave aclearance 30 between it and the delivery roll, which constitutes thepaper pas sage, preferably slightly variable in size, in practice,through the yielding nature of the roll 1%". The shaft 25 is providedwith a pulley 31, or other suitable driving means, and the pulleys 2Aand 31 may be so belted that the peripheral speed of the pressure roll25 is equal to that of the enamel delivery roll let The roll 25 in itsnormal adjustment, out of contact with the delivery roll 14, receives noenamel therefrom, as the enamel conveying train is properly proportionedand adjusted, according to the viscosity of the material, in order thatthe final delivery roll may not splash or throw enamel particles fromits surface.

As a refinement of my invention, which may be employed or not asdesired, I provide one or more additional pressure rolls 33, mounted inbrackets 26 similar to the brackets 26 but secured upon the frame 11,11, such roll or rolls 33 having shaft extensions through the frame andbeing geared as by spur wheels 34, 34' and an idler 35 to thedriven-roll shaft 25. The idler 35 is preferably mounted upon a bracket36, and adjustably secured to the exterior of the frame by a set screw.Thus, the supplemental pressure roll 33 may be adjusted to compensatefor adjustments of the delivery roll, and to accommodate difi'erentthicknesses of card board stock, and such auxiliary roll or rolls serveas a means for maintaining the stock in contact with the enamel deliveryroll through an arc of its periphery and. for directing the stock fromthe enamel delivery roll in a downward direction. Below the stockhandling rolls above described, the frame may be provided with a crossbar or roller 37, arranged to receive in rear thereof the stock as itcomes from the enameling roll and below such rod is provided a beltconveyer 3S suitably driven as by me chanical means 39, so that itsupper or receiving course runs in a forward direction.

In the operation of the machine, the parts are properly adjusted so thatthe space 30 between the pressure and delivery rolls will just receivethe stock. The stock is fed, by hand, sheet by sheet from the table 10to the pressure and enameling roll and each sheet passes around an arcof the delivery roll 14? under the pressure imposed by the coaction withsaid roll of the pressure rolls 25 and 33. The enameling roll 14,constantly receiving enamel through the operation of the enamel deliverytrain, applies the enamel to the lower surface of the stock, which ingeneral is the pictorial surface of the post-card sheet, but thepressure rolls, being constantly free from contact with the enamelingroll, receive no enamel during the intervals between sheets, and themachine leaves bare the upper or addressing surface of the sheet. Shouldthe pressure roll, by faulty adjustment or otherwise, come in contactwith the enamel roll, its small size makes it impossible for it totransfer any very material quantity of enamel to the sheet next fed tothe machine. As the sheet is delivered from the roll, its lower edgepasses down in rear of the rod 37 so that when it contacts with themoving belt 38 it cannot advance beyond a certain position, andconsequently as its upper edge is pushed outward by the enameling roll14 it topples over and falls in its inverted position or with itsenameled side up upon the conveyer 38, which may be conveniently gearedto run at about the same surface speed as the stock itself. The furtherhandling of the enameled stock may be provided for in any suitablemanner, and constitutes no part of the present invention.

While I have herein described in some cletail a particular construct-ionembodying my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the artthat numerous changes in the structural details might be made withoutdeparture from the spirit of my invention, and I do not desire to beunderstood to limit myself to the particular details of construc-' tionshown in the broader aspects of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a sheet enameling machine, the combination of an enameling roll, asource of enamel therefor, a pressure roll positively maintained out ofcontact with the enameling roll to provide a path for the sheet betweensaid rolls, a roll for deflecting said sheet downwardly to cause it todroop, and a stationary rest extending across the path of the freedrooping end of the sheet below said rolls, which engages and arrestssaid sheet before it is released at its upper end, to reverse the sheetin falling.

2. In an enameling machine, a train of enamel-conveying rolls, one ofwhich has its upper surface substantially flush with a feed tablewhereby to enamel a sheet on its lower surface, means for supplyingenamel to the primary roll of said train, to be carried by said train tothe delivery roll thereof, a pressure roll positively maintained out ofcontact with the said delivery roll, a feed table from which to feed thesheets to said rolls, a conveyer for the sheets, and a transverse rodbelow the rolls for engaging the free end of the sheet to reverse saidsheet and to deliver same thereon enamel side up.

3. In a sheet enameling machine, a pair of opposed rolls normally spacedapart for re ception of a sheet to be enameled therebetween, one of saidrolls being yieldingly supported relative to the other, means fordriving both rolls oppositely, means for delivering enamel to one ofsaid rolls, a supplementary roll for deflecting said sheet downwardlyand causing its free end to droop by eifect of gravity, a rest belowsaid rolls for the free end of said sheet, which said sheet engagesbefore it is released by said rolls, whereby said sheet is reversed soas to be with enamel side up.

i. In a sheet enameling machine, a train of enamel-carrying rolls, meansfor delivering enamel to the primary roll of said train for conveyanceto the delivery roll thereof, a delivery roll, and a pressure roll, infixed separated relation thereto, means for yieldingly supporting bothsaid rolls relatively to the primary roll, means for positivelyadjusting said pressure roll with reference to the delivery roll, asupplementary adjustable pressure roll the lower face of which is belowthe upper face of said delivery roll, a conveyer and a sheet turningmeans arranged to engage only the unenameled sur face of the free end ofthe sheet.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

. BENJAMIN C. HAVVKES.

In the presence of W. LINN ALLEN, MARY F. ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

